Oklahoma State University Athletics
Softball Closes Out Spring Break At Cowgirl Stadium
March 16, 2005 | Cowgirl Softball
The Cowgirls will enjoy a home field field advantage for the next week as five of the Cowgirls next six games will be played at Cowgirl Stadium. The only road trip in that span is a game at Wichita State on Tuesday, March 22.
Oklahoma State is coming off a 4-1 performance at the Speedline Invitational last weekend, sharing the title with Baylor. The Cowgirls posted shutouts in their final two games including a 9-0 run-rule of Hofstra. OSU hit .313 at the tournament, relying mainly on small ball play and discipline to advance to the championship contest. The Cowgirls had just four hits that went for extra bases, three doubles and one home run. Earlier in the week it was a different story as the Cowgirls went long six times in a doubleheader against UMKC, including five in the second game to set a new single-game record.
HEAD COACH MARGARET REBENAR
Margaret Rebenar is in her 26th season season as a softball coach at Oklahoma State and fourth as a head coach. Rebenar joined the Cowgirl softball program in 1980 after serving as a pitching coach at UCLA for one season. After filling the assistant coach role for 22 seasons, Rebenar was named the head coach in 2001. Rebenar led the 2003 Cowgirls to a second-place finish in the Big 12 regular season race and their first NCAA Regional appearance in five years. Under her guidance, 23 players have earned All-American status 29 times, including Olympians Michele Smith, Melanie Roche and Lauren Bay. Rebenar brings a 119-75 record as a head coach into the tournament. Hitting the century mark was an exciting game for Rebenar as the Cowgirls staged a come-from-behind victory at UNLV, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh to earn a 4-1 win.
SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
Wichita State enters the contest 14-9 overall, having lost three of their last five. As a team the Shockers are hitting .257 with four players hitting over .300. Julie Darling leads the team with a .373 batting average and is third on the squad with four home runs. Margo Pruis and Lindsay Craig lead the pitching staff. Pruis is 5-4 on the year with a 1.68 ERA and two shutouts. Craig has tossed one shutout en route to a 6-4 record and 2.19 ERA. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Wichita State 65-3. The Shockers only win in Stillwater was a 1-0 decision last year.
SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
North Texas is 7-15 on the year and led by Mandy Hacker with a .353 batting average. Susan Waters has a team-leading five doubles and is the only player to hit more than one home run this season. Kristina Fowler leads the pitching staff with a 2.67 ERA and 5-5 record in 70.2 innings. Mandy Hacker (1-3, 2.70 ERA, 33.2 IP) and Katy Maxey (1-6, 4.20 ERA, 43.1 IP) fill the reserve rolls. Oklahoma State leads the series 3-2 but North Texas has won the last two, including a 4-2 decision in Stillwater last spring.
